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UNIQUE Antique Telephone Dial desktop adjustable Remote Box Bakelite

Started by Doug Rose, May 30, 2021, 04:38:11 PM

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FABphones

Quote from: HarrySmith on June 02, 2021, 08:04:23 AM
I don't think it tilts...

I am probably not so good at describing this item.  :-[

Rotates on a central pin axis. The knob locks it into position. Am guessing the knob seller refers to is the metal colour knob to centre.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
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HarrySmith

Quote from: FABphones on June 02, 2021, 08:24:21 AM
I am probably not so good at describing this item.  :-[

Rotates on a central pin axis. The knob locks it into position. Am guessing the knob seller refers to is the metal colour knob to centre.

OK. I thought it was referring to tilting the stator. Now I see. Thanks for pointing that out. I put a query on both the lists to see if anyone there has any ideas on what it is. We will see if I get any answers. Probably just more questions!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

HarrySmith

I got a couple of replies on the lists. Not a definitive answer but one good plausible use from Steph:

The internal rotor seems to be wound with many turns of wire like a motor armature.  The armature is driven by the dial shaft which normally drives the pulse contact cam.  Since it normally drives a double-lobed cam, it makes 5 revolutions for a full pull of the dial.

The second photo shows two banana jacks on the panel.  There seems to be a commutator, perhaps brushes and solder lugs at the opposite end of the armature shaft from the dial.  Your internal view seems to shows wires connected to the banana jacks, perhaps from the brushes.

Perhaps the device detects an external magnetic field, converts the field to a measurable AC voltage and resolves the orientation of the magnetic field


And he offered an explanation about tilting it:

To identify the orientation of the magnetic field.  Magnetic fields like light and radio waves (which are magnetic fields too) have a direction.

Basic electromagnetic principle is that if you move a conductor through a magnetic field a voltage is induced in the conductor. This instruments that effect, spinning a coil at a controllable orientation which can be adjusted to resolve the orientation of the field.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

19and41

Would it be a remote control device ?  There were contemporary radio makes that had remote controls.  Apex was a brand of United States radio and television co.  Their first plant was in Marion, Indiana.  The RCA plant there was built around it.  They also made Gloritone and Lyric radios.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

Stubbypylon

It has an APEX Radio, Vernier Dial on it. So, this is either radio related or assembled as a one off.
Craig Stanowski


TelePlay

Quote from: Stubbypylon on June 03, 2021, 03:31:24 AM
It has an APEX Radio, Vernier Dial on it. So, this is either radio related or assembled as a one off.

Seems like the Vernier dial shown from 0 to 90 allows one to position the "box" either full 45° left or 45° right. That would set the tilt of the strange wound coil to that angle.



The dial, less it's pulsing components, leaf switches and terminals, seems to allow one to "spin" the wound coil for one second (the AE governor is there to produce a full (dial 0) rotation to return in one second.

Question is will the coil come to a sudden jarring stop or continue to rotate, to free wheel?



There are only two electrical connections on the outside of the box connected to the coil on the inside between the dial and the coil.



There is a type of commutator at the end of the "wound coil" opposite the dial which is electrically connected to the corner assembly hardware but I do not see exterior terminals.

I have no idea of what the thin, long bar is on one side, what it does or how it's connected.



Could be anything from Steampunk to a ghost detector.